FoldMold: Automating Papercraft for Fast DIY Casting of Scalable Curved Shapes (GI ’21)
Rapid iteration is crucial to effective prototyping; yet making certain objects – large, smoothly curved and/or of specific material – requires specialized equipment or considerable time. To improve access to casting such objects, we developed FoldMold: a low-cost, simply-resourced and eco-friendly technique for creating scalable, curved mold shapes (any developable surface) with wax-stiffened paper. Starting with a 3D digital shape, we define seams, add bending, joinery and mold-strengthening features, and “unfold” the shape into a 2D pattern, which is then cut, assembled, wax-dipped and cast with materials like silicone, plaster, or ice. To access the concept’s full power, we facilitated digital pattern creation with a custom Blender add-on. We assessed FoldMold’s viability, first with several molding challenges in which it produced smooth, curved shapes far faster than 3D printing would; then with a small user study that confirmed automation usability. Finally, we describe a range of opportunities for further development.
Shakeri, H., Elbaggari, H., Bucci, P., Xiao, R. and MacLean, K.E. (2021). FoldMold: Automating Papercraft for Fast DIY Casting of Scalable Curved Shapes. In Proceedings of Graphics Interface ’21. 10 pages. DOI: 10.20380/GI2021.10